Somewhere in 2001, I bought a computer magazine which came with a Linux CD. I had heard of Linux before, but while we did have broadband back then and was technically capable of downloading a Linux distribution, this method was far easier. This was my first foray into Linux - it was Mandrake. Now, though, it seems the curtain has really dropped for the French Linux company.

Yep, this is the sad part. Mandriva is a good community citizen. They contribute a lot of stuff back upstream and they are among the few that care about the desktop. Ubuntu doesn't care about the desktop anymore and they don't contribute anyway.
If we loose Mandriva, then all distros will loose something. It would be a pity, especially in that scenario where the main looser (the minority shareholder blocking the deal) is so shortsighted. They have everything to win by not blocking this deal. Mandriva is almost breaking heaven. It is breaking even in Brazil and they have a solid plan for the future. It's better to own 10% of a company that has value than own 42% of a nothing company that you let die. It's a very stupid move on their part.